New Maps of the City Part One: Notes for Films

Director Roger Garcia drew inspiration from Close to Our Hearts, a script he wrote after returning to Hong Kong from the United Kingdom in 1977. Although the project never materialised because of a lack of funding and resources, Garcia adapted its elements—character lines, location shots, references to other films, portraits of a harpist—for this essay film, which traces a disintegrating relationship between a Chinese musician and his English wife, a photographer. Ruminating on the liminal space between text and image, Garcia seeks new ways of looking at a ceaselessly evolving city.

Directed by Roger Garcia, New Maps of the City Part One: Notes for Films leans on a strong ensemble — Roger Garcia — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about screen titles of 1982.